Garment with stretch an rigid paneling

ABSTRACT

A garment includes a first plurality of panels including a rigid material and a second plurality of panels including a stretch fabric material. According to an exemplary embodiment, the first plurality of panels are selectively positioned so as to correspond in location to desired anatomical regions of a wearer of the garment. According to an exemplary embodiment, the second plurality of panels are selectively positioned to facilitate independent movement of each of the first plurality of panels relative to one another.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is a national phase application of PCT/US2016/062317,filed Nov. 16, 2016, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/258,992, filed Nov. 23, 2015, each of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Traditional garments include a plurality of fabric pieces that are sewntogether or otherwise coupled to form the article of clothing. Often,articles of clothing that include rigid fabric pieces are uncomfortableand restrict the natural movement of the wearer (e.g., as a result ofthe rigid fabric pieces binding and/or pinching the wearer).

SUMMARY

One embodiment relates to a garment. The garment includes a firstplurality of panels including a rigid material, and a second pluralityof panels including a stretch material, such as a stretch fabricmaterial. According to an exemplary embodiment, the first plurality ofpanels are selectively positioned so as to correspond in location todesired anatomical regions of a wearer of the garment. According to anexemplary embodiment, the second plurality of panels are selectivelypositioned to facilitate independent movement of each of the firstplurality of panels relative to one another.

Another embodiment relates to a garment. The garment includes a waistportion, an upper leg portion, and a lower leg portion. The waistportion is positioned to correspond with a waist and crotch region of awearer. The waist portion includes at least one stretch fabric panel.The upper leg portion is positioned to correspond with a thigh and kneeregion of the wearer. The upper leg portion includes at least onestretch fabric panel and at least one rigid panel. The lower leg portionis positioned to correspond with a shin and calf region of the wearer.The lower leg portion includes at least one stretch fabric panel and atleast one rigid panel. According to an exemplary embodiment, the atleast one stretch fabric panel of the upper leg portion and the at leastone stretch fabric panel of the lower leg portion are configured tofacilitate independent movement of the at least one rigid panel of theupper leg portion relative to the at least one rigid panel of the lowerleg portion.

Yet another embodiment relates to a garment. The garment includes afirst plurality of panels including a rigid material, a second pluralityof panels including a stretch fabric material, and a third plurality ofpanels including a stretch mesh fabric material. According to anexemplary embodiment, the first plurality of panels are selectivelypositioned to provide at least one of abrasion resistance and heatresistance to desired anatomical areas of a wearer of the garment. Insome embodiments, the second plurality of panels and the third pluralityof panels are selectively positioned to facilitate independent movementof each of the first plurality of panels. According to an exemplaryembodiment, the third plurality of panels are configured to facilitateair flow into and out of the garment.

Some embodiments relate to methods of reducing the harm to a wearer of agarment from one or more of abrasions, penetration injury, a burn, or animpact injury. The methods can include for example, providing, marketingto, or selling a garment according to any of the embodiments anddescription herein to a user participating in an activity. Examples ofactivities, include, but are not limited to motorcycle or bicycleriding, snowboarding, snow skiing, skate boarding, hunting, fishing,canyoneering, repelling, hiking, military action, law enforcement,firefighting, horseback riding, auto racing, off road vehicleparticipation, and snowmobiling. The penetration injury can include forexample, an injury caused by an object penetrating through the material.The object could be a rock, a stick or other wooden object, glass, metalrods or shards, plastic and other ceramic rods and shards, projectiles(e.g., a bullet), parts of a vehicle, etc. An impact injury can includean injury caused by an impact between a region of the wearer and anobject. It could be bruising, broken bones, and the like.

Still some embodiments relate to methods of making an article or garmentas described herein by attaching one or more separate panels directly toeach other or indirectly together. For example, the panels can include arigid material, a stretch material, a mesh material (e.g., more or lessthan 10% stretchability, etc.), a mesh stretch material, air flowaperture material, and the like.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be inany way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments,and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and featureswill become apparent by reference to the drawings and the followingdetailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings are provided to illustrate example embodiments describedherein and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.Throughout the drawings, reference numbers may be re-used to indicategeneral correspondence between referenced elements.

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a garment with stretch and rigid panels,according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a rear plan view of a garment with stretch and rigid panels,according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a garment with stretch and rigidpanels, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a garment with stretch and rigidpanels, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a front plan view of a garment with stretch and rigid panels,according to another exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a rear plan view of a garment with stretch and rigid panels,according to another exemplary embodiment; and

FIG. 7 is a front plan view of a garment with stretch and rigid panels,according to yet another exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a rear plan view of a garment with stretch and rigid panels,according to another yet exemplary embodiment; and

FIG. 9 is a side plan view of a garment with stretch and rigid panels,according to yet another exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various aspects of the disclosure will now be described with regard tocertain examples and embodiments, which are intended to illustrate butnot to limit the disclosure. Nothing in this disclosure is intended toimply that any particular feature or characteristic of the disclosedembodiments is essential. The scope of protection is defined by theclaims that follow this description and not by any particular embodimentdescribed herein. Before turning to the figures, which illustrateexample embodiments in detail, it should be understood that theapplication is not limited to the details or methodology set forth inthe description or illustrated in the figures. It should also beunderstood that the terminology is for the purpose of description onlyand should not be regarded as limiting.

Embodiments herein generally relate to garments and/or articles that canprovide one or more of protection for a region of a body that is coveredby the garment/article, improved movement and flexibility, improvedventilation, customization, etc. Such garments and articles can be usedin a number of activities, including without limitation: sports andathletics, including extreme sports; military and combat activity; lawenforcement; outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, and climbing;automotive and cycling activities, including auto racing, motorcycleriding and racing, motocross, bicycling such as BMX, etc.; equestrianand rodeo; recreational vehicles including ATVs, snowmobiles, and otheroff-road vehicles; to name just a few. The garments/articles and methodsof using the same provide various improvements not present in existinggarments and articles. Further details are provided herein.

According to one example of an embodiment, a multi-panel garmentincludes a plurality of panels having different characteristics. Themulti-panel garment may include rigid panels, stretch fabric panels,and/or stretch mesh fabric panels. The rigid panels may be selectivelypositioned about the multi-panel garment so as to correspond in locationto desired anatomical regions of a wearer of the garment (e.g., a thighregion, a knee region, a shin region, a lower back region, ayoke/buttocks region, etc.). According to an exemplary embodiment, therigid panels are durable, protective, and/or structure giving. In someembodiments, at least a portion of the rigid panels includes an abrasionand/or penetration resistant material and are made at least in part fromheavy duty or durable fabric (e.g., ballistic nylon, 900D fabric,Kevlar, a heavy duty poly-fabric, leather, etc.). In other embodiments,the rigid panels are manufactured (e.g., formed, etc.) from a non-fabricmaterial (e.g., plastic, carbon fiber, etc.). In some embodiments, atleast a portion of the rigid panels includes a heat resistant material(e.g., leather, Therma-flec heat resistant fabric, Kevlar, etc.). Thestretch fabric panels and/or the stretch mesh fabric panels may beselectively positioned about the multi-panel garment (e.g., between therigid fabric panels, etc.) to facilitate independent movement of each ofthe rigid panels relative to one another (e.g., each rigid fabric panelmoves independently, etc.). According to an exemplary embodiment, theindependent movement of the rigid panels allows the rigid panels to workindependent of each providing a greater degree of comfort and lessrestriction (e.g., while walking, sitting, riding, etc.) than garmentscommonly found in the marketplace without sacrificing the normalfunction, which is to provide protection to a wearer (e.g., motocrossrider, snowmobile rider, ATV rider, etc.) during use (e.g., from dirt,rocks, debris; from heat emitted by an engine and/or an exhaust system;while riding a dirt bike, a snowmobile, an ATV; etc.). The stretch meshfabric panels may be configured to allow air to flow into and out of themulti-panel garment (e.g., to cool a wearer of the multi-panel garment,etc.).

According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, a multi-panelgarment, shown as garment 10, includes a plurality of panels that are atleast one of arranged, molded, sewn, shaped, formed, cut, and tailoredto form a pant. According to an exemplary embodiment, the garment 10 isa motocross racepant. In other embodiments, the garment 10 is asnowmobile pant, an ATV pant, or another type of pant used for actionsports. In an alternative embodiment, the plurality of panels of thegarment 10 are at least one of arranged, molded, sewn, shaped, formed,cut, and tailored to form another type of pants, shorts, a shirt, ajacket, or still another article of clothing. The size of the garment 10may be varied to fit various wearers. For example, the plurality ofpanels of the garment 10 may be at least one of arranged, molded, sewn,shaped, formed, cut, and tailored to fit men, women, both men and women,or children. According to an exemplary embodiment, the plurality ofpanels of the garment 10 are manufactured from at least two differentmaterials. In some embodiments, the plurality of panels of the garment10 are manufactured from three distinct materials. In other embodiments,the plurality of panels of the garment 10 are manufactured from four ormore distinct materials.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the garment 10 includes a first portion, shown aswaist portion 30, a second portion, shown as upper leg portion 32, and athird portion, shown as lower leg portion 34. The waist portion 30 ispositioned and formed so as to correspond with a waist, buttocks, and/orcrotch region of a wearer of the garment 10. The upper leg portion 32 ispositioned and formed so as to correspond with a thigh and/or kneeregion of a wearer of the garment 10. The lower leg portion 34 ispositioned and formed so as to correspond with a shin and calf region ofa wearer of the garment 10. The upper leg portion 32 and the lower legportion 34 cooperatively form a pair of legs, shown as right leg 36 andleft leg 38, that extend from the waist portion 30. As shown in FIGS.1-4, the waist portion 30, the upper leg portion 32, and the lower legportion 34 define a first lateral side, shown as right side 12, anopposing second later side, shown as left side 14, an anterior side,shown as front side 16, and a posterior side, shown as rear side 18. Asshown in FIGS. 1-4, the right leg 36 defines an interior side, shown asinterior side 22, and the left leg 38 defines an interior side, shown asinterior side 24. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the waist portion 30, theupper leg portion 32, and the lower leg portion 34 define an internalcavity, shown as cavity 20, that extends from the waist portion 30,through each of the right leg 36 and the left leg 38, and out throughthe bottom of the lower leg portion 34. According to an exemplaryembodiment, the cavity 20 is formed by the waist portion 30, the upperleg portion 32, and the lower leg portion 34 to receive a specific sizedperson (e.g., an extra-small, a small, a medium, a large, or anextra-large person, etc.).

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the garment 10 includes a first plurality ofpanels, shown as stretch fabric panels 50, and a second plurality ofpanels, shown as rigid panels 70. According to an exemplary embodiment,the stretch fabric panels 50 are manufactured from a first fabricmaterial, and the rigid panels 70 are manufactured from a seconddifferent material. According to an exemplary embodiment, the stretchfabric panels 50 are selectively positioned about the garment 10 (e.g.,between the rigid panels 70, etc.) to facilitate independent movement ofeach of the rigid panels 70 relative to one another (e.g., each of therigid panels 70 moves independently, etc.). According to an exemplaryembodiment, the interaction between the stretch fabric panels 50 and therigid panels 70 facilitates natural movement of a wearer's body suchthat as a wearer moves, the front side 16 and the rear side 18 do notsheer away from each other (e.g., which may cause discomfort andrestriction in movement, etc.). In one embodiment, at least one of thestretch fabric panels 50 is manufactured from a first stretch fabricmaterial and at least one of the stretch fabric panels 50 ismanufactured from a second different stretch fabric material. Forexample, at least one of the stretch fabric panels 50 may bemanufactured from a stretch fabric material and at least one of thestretch fabric panels 50 may be manufactured from a stretch mesh fabricmaterial and/or a mesh fabric material. The different stretch fabricmaterials may differ in one or more characteristics including anelasticity, ventilation, abrasion resistance, heat resistance,penetration resistance, and the like. The stretch mesh fabric and/or themesh fabric material may be used in areas of the garment 10 tofacilitate air to flow into and out of the cavity 20 of the garment 10(e.g., to provide a cooling effect to the wearer of the garment 10,etc.). According to an exemplary embodiment, the stretch fabric materialis more durable (e.g., tougher, stronger, heavier, etc.) than thestretch mesh fabric material. In other embodiments, the stretch fabricpanels 50 are manufactured from a single stretch fabric material. In analternative embodiment, the stretch fabric panels 50 are manufacturedfrom a nominal stretch material (e.g., denim, a material having morestretch than a rigid fabric material, a material having less stretchthan a stretch fabric material, etc.).

According to an exemplary embodiment, the rigid panels 70 aremanufactured to be durable, protective (e.g., heat resistant, abrasionresistant, penetration resistant, etc.), and/or structure giving. In oneembodiment, at least one of the rigid panels 70 is manufactured from afirst rigid material and at least one of the rigid panels 70 ismanufactured from a second different rigid material. The first rigidmaterial and the second rigid material may differ in one or morecharacteristics including abrasion resistance, penetration resistance,heat resistance, elasticity, and/or other material properties of therigid materials. For example, at least one of the rigid panels 70 may bemanufactured from an abrasion resistant material and at least one of therigid panels 70 may be manufactured from a heat resistant material. Theabrasion resistant material may be used in desired areas of the garment10 (e.g., a thigh area, a shin area, etc.) to shield desired anatomicalregions of the wearer from dirt, rocks, and/or other debris that may hitthe wearer during use (e.g., while riding a dirt bike, etc.). Theabrasion resistant material may include 900D fabric, ballistic nylon, aheavy duty poly-fabric, Kevlar, carbon fiber, plastic, and/or leather,among other possible abrasion resistant materials. The heat resistantmaterial may be used in desired areas of the garment 10 (e.g., inner legarea, etc.) to shield desired anatomical regions of the wearer from heatemitted by components (e.g., an engine, engine components, exhaustcomponents, etc.) of a vehicle (e.g., dirt bike, ATV, snowmobile, etc.)being driven by the wearer of the garment 10. The heat resistantmaterial may include leather, Therma-flec heat resistant fabric, and/orKevlar, among other possible heat resistant materials. In otherembodiments, the rigid panels 70 are manufactured from a single rigidmaterial. In an alternative embodiment, the rigid panels aremanufactured from a fabric material. According to an exemplaryembodiment, the independent movement of the rigid panels 70 allows therigid panels 70 to work independent of each other, thereby providing agreater degree of comfort and less restriction (e.g., while walking,sitting, riding, etc.) without sacrificing the intended function of thegarment 10, which is to provide protection to the wearer (e.g.,motocross rider, snowmobile rider, ATV rider, etc.) from debris and/orheat while driving a vehicle (e.g., a dirt bike, etc.). In someembodiments, the rigid panels 70 are configured (e.g., aerodynamicallyshaped, formed, etc.) to reduce drag forces experienced by a wearer ofthe garment 10 (e.g., while traveling at increased speeds, etc.). Insome embodiments, the rigid panels 70 are woven or otherwisemanufactured from a hard and/or durable material (e.g., carbon fiber,Kevlar, 900D fabric, etc.). In other embodiments, the rigid panels 70are formed (e.g., molded, etc.) from a non-woven material (e.g.,plastic, etc.).

The materials of the garment 10 (e.g., the fabrics from which at leastone of the stretch fabric panels 50 and the rigid panels 70 are at leastone of arranged, molded, sewn, shaped, formed, cut, and tailored, etc.)may include a plurality of fibers that are woven, knitted, felted, orotherwise arranged into a structure that forms the material. Theplurality of fibers may include a single constituent material (e.g.,cotton, nylon, polyester, spandex, another elastane material, anothersynthetic material, another natural material, etc.) or may include ablend of multiple constituent materials. The garment 10 may includefabrics having a certain degree of elastic stretch, where the fabricelongates when a force is applied due to deformation (e.g., elasticdeformation, etc.) of the fibers themselves (e.g., deformation withinthe elastic region of the fibers when a force or a stress below theyield strength of the fibers is applied, etc.). The fibers resist theforce and return the fabric to the pre-stretch state when the force isreleased.

The materials of garment 10 may have a certain degree of mechanical ease(i.e., mechanical give, etc.), where the fabric elongates when a forceis applied due to movement of the fibers within the structure of thematerial. The mechanical ease of the fabrics varies based on thearrangement of the fibers within the structure of the material (e.g.,warp and weft density, weave, etc.) and the conditions under which thefabric was produced (e.g., speed of weaving, warp insertion rate, warpand weft tension, etc.). In one embodiment, the mechanical ease does notresist pull in the same way (e.g., does not have the same type ofrebound, does not have the same pull profile of rebound, etc.) as theelastic stretch associated with the fibers themselves. Rather, themechanical ease allows the fibers that make up the fabric to move in andout of the empty spaces between the fibers.

The elongation of the materials (e.g., due to the mechanical ease, dueto the elastic deformation of the fibers themselves, due to the both themechanical ease and the elastic deformation of the fibers themselves,etc.) may be quantified in terms of a stretch factor. The stretch factormay be equal to the pre-stretched dimension of the fabric subtractedfrom the stretched dimension of the fabric (e.g., with a force appliedthat produces sub-yield strength stresses, etc.), with the resultingquantity thereafter divided by the pre-stretched dimension of thefabric.

The stretch fabric materials (or stretch mesh fabric materials) of thestretch fabric panels 50 may have both mechanical ease and elasticstretch or primarily only elastic stretch while the abrasion and/or heatresistant materials of the rigid panels 70 may have primarily onlymechanical ease. In other embodiments, the stretch fabric materials (orstretch mesh fabric materials) of the stretch fabric panels 50 have agreater degree of elastic stretch than mechanical ease while theabrasion and/or heat resistant materials of the rigid panels 70 have agreater degree of mechanical ease than elastic stretch. In still otherembodiments, the stretch fabric materials (or stretch mesh fabricmaterials) of the stretch fabric panels 50 have a stretch factor atleast equal to a threshold (e.g., more than zero percent, at least 5%,at least 10%, at least 25%, at least 50%, at least 100%, etc.) in one orboth directions (e.g., lateral and/or longitudinal, along x-axis and/ory-axis, etc.), while the rigid materials of the rigid panels 70 have astretch factor of less than the threshold (e.g., zero percent, less than5%, less than 10%, less than 25%, less than 50%, less than 100%, etc.)in one or both directions (e.g., lateral and/or longitudinal, alongx-axis and/or y-axis, etc.).

In one embodiment, the stretch fabric material of the stretch fabricpanels 50 has isotropic (i.e., symmetrical, identical) stretchproperties (e.g., four-ways stretch, uniform stretch characteristics,etc.). By way of example, the stretch fabric material of the stretchfabric panels 50 may have a mechanical ease and/or an elastic stretchthat is independent of the direction of an applied force (e.g.,stretches the same in a lateral direction as a longitudinal direction,etc.). In other embodiments, the stretch fabric material of the stretchfabric panels 50 has anisotropic (i.e., asymmetrical) stretch properties(e.g., may have properties that vary with direction, etc.). By way ofexample, the stretch fabric material of the stretch fabric panels 50 mayhave at least one of a mechanical ease and an elastic stretch thatvaries based on the direction of an applied force. The stretch fabricmaterial of the stretch fabric panels 50 may have an elastic stretchthat is greater in a first direction (e.g., a cross-grain direction,etc.) than in a second direction (e.g., a grain direction, etc.). Thefirst direction may be angularly offset relative to (e.g., perpendicularto, etc.) the second direction. The first direction (i.e., the directionalong which the greater amount of elastic stretch occurs, etc.) maydefine a primary stretch direction of the stretch fabric. Stretch fabricmaterial having a primary stretch direction may have elastic stretchthat occurs primarily in a single direction. This characteristic can beobserved by physical manipulation of the fabric in both the first andsecond directions.

The rigid material of the rigid panels 70 may have a mechanical easethat is greater in a first direction (e.g., cross-grain direction, etc.)than in a second direction (e.g., a grain direction, etc.). The firstdirection may be angularly offset relative to (e.g., perpendicular to,etc.) the second direction. The first direction (i.e., the directionalong which the greater amount of mechanical ease occurs, etc.) maydefine a primary ease direction of the rigid fabric material. Rigidmaterial having a primary ease direction may have mechanical ease thatoccurs primarily in a single direction. This characteristic can beobserved by physical manipulation of the material in both the first andsecond directions.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the stretch fabric panels 50 andthe rigid panels 70 are coplanarly and contiguously attached (e.g.,arranged, molded, sewn, shaped, formed, cut, tailored, joined, etc.) tocooperatively form a single, continuous layer of the garment 10. By wayof example, each individual panel may define a plane including the edgesof the panel. Each edge of the panels is positioned adjacent other edgesof proximate panels and attached thereto such that the planes of theattached panels are coplanar (e.g., no portion of one panel ispositioned on top of or stacked atop another panel, etc.). According toan exemplary embodiment, all of or a portion of the single, continuouslayer of the garment 10 is loose fitting (e.g., non-compressive, notskin tight, etc.). For example, the garment 10 may be skin tight orrelatively tighter around the waist portion 30 and/or the regionimmediate the waist portion 30, but loose or relatively looser aroundthe thighs, knees, and/or shins of the wearer (e.g., at least the upperleg portion 32 and/or the lower leg portion 34 are loose fitting, etc.).In some embodiments, the garment 10 is configured to be worn over anundergarment such as a compression garment, a skin tight garment, and/ora spandex garment. According to an exemplary embodiment, the rigidpanels 70 and/or the stretch fabric panels 50 do not include or defineopenings or pockets configured to receive additional padding material orinclude additional padding attached (e.g., sewn, etc.) thereto ortherein.

Attaching the stretch fabric panels 50 and the rigid panels 70coplanarly may form seams between joined panels. In some embodiments,the garment 10 includes a liner layer (e.g., an under layer, an innerlayer, etc.) disposed within the cavity 20 of the garment 10 and coupled(e.g., sewn, etc.) to one or more of the panels (e.g., under the rigidpanel 70 alone, etc.) or along the single, continuous layer formed bythe stretch fabric panels 50 and the rigid panels 70. According to anexemplary embodiment, the liner layer covers the seams formed betweenthe stretch fabric panels 50 and the rigid panels 70 (e.g., such thatthe seams, the stretch fabric panels 50, and/or the rigid panels 70 donot come into contact with the wearer, providing increased comfort,reducing chaffing and/or scratching, etc.). In other embodiments, theliner layer covers the rigid panels 70 and/or the seams to preventdiscomfort and/or chaffing. In one embodiment, the liner layer includesa mesh fabric material. In other embodiments, the liner layer includes astretch fabric material. In still other embodiments, the liner layerincludes a stretch mesh fabric material. In an alternative embodiment,the liner layer includes a rigid material. In some embodiments, theliner layer includes a material that is configured to provideventilation to the wearer of the garment 10. In some embodiments, theliner layer includes a material that is configured to provide warmthand/or protection from wind. For example, the liner layer may be aflannel, fleece, wool, cotton, or synthetic material with thefunctionality described.

In one embodiment, the liner layer extends from the top of the waistportion 30 to the bottom of the upper leg portion 32. In otherembodiments, the liner layer extends from the top of the waist portion30 to the bottom of the lower leg portion 34. In still otherembodiments, the liner layer is selectively positioned and attachedalong all or a portion of the interior of the garment 10 (e.g., over theseams, around the rigid panels 70, etc.). In an alternative embodiment,the liner layer is a separate layer of the garment 10 that is wornunderneath the garment 10 (e.g., not attached thereto, an undergarment,etc.). In some embodiments, the liner layer is loose fitting. In otherembodiments, the liner layer is tight fitting and conforms to the bodyof the wearer (e.g., a compression garment, skin tight, etc.). In someembodiments, the liner layer includes padding position so as tocorrespond in location to various anatomical regions of a wearer (e.g.,hip, knee, thigh, etc.). The padding may be positioned so as tocorrespond in location to some or all of the rigid panels 70 and/or thestretch fabric panels 50. In some embodiments, the garment 10 alsoincludes a gusset (e.g., a lycra gusset, etc.) positioned within thecavity 20 of the garment 10 above the buttocks area of the waist portion30. The gusset may be configured to prevent the liner layer from pullingthe garment 10 down when worn by a wearer.

According to an exemplary embodiment, a majority of the material of thegarment 10 is rigid material (e.g., greater than 50% rigid material, anysub-range between 50% and 100% or any sub-value there between, etc.). Inone embodiment, the garment 10 includes about 60%-70% rigid material. Inanother embodiment, the garment 10 includes greater than 70% rigidmaterial. In an alternative embodiment, the majority of the material ofthe garment 10 is stretch fabric material and/or stretch mesh fabricmaterial (e.g., less than 50% rigid material, etc.). In anotheralternative embodiment, the relative proportion of rigid material tostretch fabric material and/or stretch mesh fabric material issubstantially equal (e.g., about 50% rigid material, etc.). In oneembodiment, the non-rigid portion of the garment 10 (e.g., about 30%-40%of the material of the garment 10, the proportion of stretch fabricmaterial relative to stretch mesh fabric material, etc.) is about 50%stretch fabric material and about 50% stretch mesh fabric material. Inother embodiments, the non-rigid portion of the garment 10 is mostlystretch mesh fabric material (e.g., 60% stretch mesh fabric material and40% stretch fabric material, 75% stretch mesh fabric material and 25%stretch fabric material, 90% stretch mesh fabric material and 10%stretch fabric material, 100% stretch mesh fabric material, 50% or morestretch mesh fabric material and 50% or less stretch fabric material,etc.). In still other embodiments, the non-rigid portion of the garment10 is mostly stretch fabric material (e.g., 40% stretch mesh fabricmaterial and 60% stretch fabric material, 25% stretch mesh fabricmaterial and 75% stretch fabric material, 10% stretch mesh fabricmaterial and 90% stretch fabric material, 100% stretch fabric material,50% or more stretch fabric material and 50% or less stretch mesh fabricmaterial, etc.).

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the rigid panels 70 of the garment 10 include apair of first rigid panels (e.g., anterior thigh panels, etc.), shown asfront upper leg rigid panels 72, a pair of second rigid panels (e.g.,posterior thigh panels, etc.), shown as rear upper leg rigid panels 78,and a pair of third rigid panels, shown as lower leg rigid panels 74. Asshown in FIGS. 1-4, the front upper leg rigid panels 72 are selectivelypositioned about the garment 10 on each of the right leg 36 and the leftleg 38, respectively, so as to correspond in location to at least one ofan upper anterior leg region (e.g., front of a wearer's thigh,quadriceps, knee, etc.) and an upper exterior leg region (e.g., hip,outer side of thigh, etc.) of each leg of the wearer of the garment 10.According to an exemplary embodiment, the front upper leg rigid panels72 are manufactured from an abrasion and/or penetration resistantmaterial (e.g., ballistic nylon, 900D fabric, Kevlar, a heavy dutypoly-fabric, leather, etc.). The abrasion resistant material of thefront upper leg rigid panels 72 is configured to reduce abrasion,penetration and/or impact forces experienced by the wearer's frontthigh, front knee, and/or hip regions from debris and/or falling to theground (e.g., falling off of a dirt bike, etc.). The rigid panels 70 ofthe upper leg portion 32 may also cover all of or a portion of thepelvis, including the sides of the pelvis while leaving the groin regionuncovered (in some cases). Regardless of the region, the rigid panels 70may cover, for example, anywhere from 50% to 100% of the region,including any sub value or sub range therein (e.g., 55%, 60%, 65%, 75%,80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or any sub range bound by the same, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 1, the front upper leg rigid panels 72 define a set ofapertures, shown as air flow apertures 80. According to an exemplaryembodiment, the air flow apertures 80 facilitate air flow into and outof the garment 10 (e.g., to allow the garment 10 to “breath,” etc.).According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the air flowapertures 80 are positioned so as to correspond in location with theknee region of a wearer of the garment 10. In other embodiments, the airflow apertures 80 are otherwise positioned about the front upper legrigid panels 72. In an alternative embodiment, the front upper leg rigidpanels 72 do not define the air flow apertures 80.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front upper leg rigid panels 72 include a kneeelement, shown as knee element 82, positioned so as to correspond withthe knee region of a wearer of the garment 10 (e.g., the front, lateralside of the knee, etc.). According to the exemplary embodiment shown inFIG. 1, the knee elements 82 includes a first portion, shown as rigidportion 84, and a second portion, shown as mesh portion 86. As shown inFIG. 1, the rigid portion 84 extends around the periphery of the kneeelement 82. The rigid portion 84 may be configured to define the shapeof the knee element 82 and/or provide support for the mesh portion 86.According to an exemplary embodiment, the knee element 82 is configuredas a knee vent. The mesh portion 86 of the knee vent may be a breathablemesh material configured to facilitate airflow into and/or out of theknee elements 82 (e.g., to provide cooling to the wearer of the garment10, etc.). The rigid portion 84 may include a higher durability material(e.g., plastic, rubber, carbon fiber, etc.) to at least partiallyfunction as a knee pad. The knee pad and/or higher durability materialmay be configured to reduce (e.g., mitigate, lessen, etc.) abrasion,penetration and/or impact forces experienced by the knee of a wearer ofthe garment 10 (e.g., from debris, from falling, etc.). In otherembodiments, the knee element 82 is configured as a knee pad such thatthe knee element 82 does not include the mesh portion 86. In otherembodiments, the garment 10 does not include the knee element 82.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the rear upper leg rigid panels 78 areselectively positioned about the garment 10 on either or each of theright leg 36 and the left leg 38, respectively, so as to correspond inlocation to at least one of an upper posterior leg region (e.g., rear ofa wearer's thigh, hamstrings, back of knee, etc.), an upper interior legregion (e.g., inner thigh, etc.), and/or a lower buttocks region of eachleg of the wearer of the garment 10. In some embodiments, the rear upperleg rigid panels 78 can cover some or all of the tail bone. According toan exemplary embodiment, the rear upper leg rigid panels 78 aremanufactured from an abrasion and/or penetration resistant material(e.g., ballistic nylon, 900D fabric, Kevlar, a heavy duty poly-fabric,leather, etc.). The abrasion or penetration resistant material of therear upper leg rigid panels 78 can be configured to reduce abrasion,penetration, and/or impact forces experienced by the wearer's rearthigh, rear knee, and/or lower buttocks (and/or tail bone) regions fromdebris and/or falling to the ground (e.g., falling off of a dirt bike,etc.). Regardless of the region, the rigid panels 70 may cover, forexample, anywhere from 50% to 100% of the region, including any subvalue or sub range therein (e.g., 55%, 60%, 65%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%,95%, or any sub range bound by the same, etc.).

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the lower leg rigid panels 74 are selectivelypositioned about the garment 10 on either or each of the right leg 36and the left leg 38, respectively, so as to correspond in location to atleast one of a lower anterior leg region (e.g., front of a wearer'slower leg, shin, etc.), a lower interior leg region (e.g., inner lowerleg region between the shin and calf, etc.), and/or a lower exterior legregion (e.g., outer lower leg between the shin and calf, etc.) of eachleg of the wearer of the garment 10. According to an exemplaryembodiment, the lower leg rigid panels 74 are manufactured from anabrasion and/or penetration resistant material (e.g., ballistic nylon,900D fabric, Kevlar, a heavy duty poly-fabric, leather, etc.). Theabrasion resistant material of the lower leg rigid panels 74 isconfigured to reduce abrasion and/or impact forces experienced by thewearer's shin, ankle, and/or other lower leg regions from debris and/orfalling to the ground (e.g., falling off of a dirt bike, etc.).Regardless of the region, the rigid panels 70 may cover, for example,anywhere from 50% to 100% of the region, including any sub value or subrange therein (e.g., 55%, 60%, 65%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or any subrange bound by the same, etc.).

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the garment 10 may include a pair of fourth rigidpanels, shown as lower interior leg rigid panels 76, positioned at oneor both of the interior side 22 and the interior side 24 of the rightleg 36 and the left leg 38 of the garment 10, respectively, so as tocorrespond in location to the lower interior leg regions of a wearer ofthe garment 10 (e.g., the region between the shin and calf along theinterior of the lower leg, etc.). In one embodiment, the lower interiorleg rigid panels 76 are attached (e.g., sewn, coupled, joined, etc.) tothe lower leg rigid panels 74 in a serial configuration such that thelower leg rigid panels 74 and the lower interior leg rigid panels 76 arecoplanar, forming a single rigid panel (e.g., planes defined by thepanels are coplanar, edges of the panels are coupled, etc.). In otherembodiments, the lower interior leg rigid panels 76 are attached (e.g.,sewn, coupled, joined, etc.) to the lower leg rigid panels 74 in astacked configuration (e.g., the lower interior leg rigid panels 76 arecoupled to a face of the lower leg rigid panels 74, the lower interiorleg rigid panels 76 are raised relative to the rest of the garment 10,etc.). The fourth rigid panels may cover, for example, anywhere from 50%to 100% of the region, including any sub value or sub range therein(e.g., 55%, 60%, 65%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or any sub range bound bythe same, etc.).

According to an exemplary embodiment, the lower interior leg rigidpanels 76 can comprise or be made or manufactured from a heat resistantmaterial (e.g., leather, Therma-flec heat resistant fabric, Kevlar,etc.). The heat resistant material may be used along the interior side22 of the right leg 36 and the interior side 24 of the left leg 38 ofthe garment 10 to shield the lower inner leg regions of the wearer fromhigh temperature components (e.g., an engine, engine components, exhaustcomponents, etc.) of a vehicle (e.g., a dirt bike, an ATV, a snowmobile,etc.) being driven by the wearer of the garment 10. In some embodiments,at least a portion of the front upper leg rigid panels 72 and/or therear upper leg rigid panels 78 is or includes a heat resistant material.It should be understood that the heat resistant material panelsdescribed here also may be abrasion, impact, and/or penetrationresistant. Further, the heat resistant materials may be included withthe other rigid panels described elsewhere herein. Regardless of theregion, the heat resistant rigid panels may cover, for example, anywherefrom 50% to 100% of the region, including any sub value or sub rangetherein (e.g., 55%, 60%, 65%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or any sub rangebound by the same, etc.).

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the stretch fabric panels 50 of the waist portion30 include a first stretch panel, shown as first front waist stretchpanel 52, a second stretch panel, shown as second front waist stretchpanel 54, a pair of third stretch panels, shown as side waist stretchpanels 56, a fourth stretch panel, shown as crotch stretch panel 58, anda fifth stretch panel, shown as lower back stretch panel 60. As shown inFIGS. 1-4, the first front waist stretch panel 52, the second frontwaist stretch panel 54, the side waist stretch panels 56, and the lowerback stretch panel 60 may define the majority of the waist line (e.g.,the size of the opening to the cavity 20, etc.) of the garment 10. Asection of the front upper leg rigid panel 72 may interrupt or intersectthe stretch fabric panels 50, as depicted on the back flanking sides orany other portion of the waist or groin, pelvis, or buttocks region.Although shown as multiple stretch panels, it also should be understoodthat the stretch fabric panels 50 may be combined thereby eliminatingone or more of the separate panels in favor of fewer panels, even to thepoint where there are only one or two stretch fabric panels 50 in thisregion. In some embodiments, the rigid panels 70 can be excluded fromcompletely intersecting or breaking the continuity of the stretch fabricpanels 50 at any point between the upper leg and waistline. The stretchfabric panels 50 of the waist portion 30 may be sized to fit variouswaist lines of wearers of the garment 10. The waist portion 30 mayinclude, if desired, an interior channel that runs circumferentiallyaround the waist portion 30, which may include a tightening mechanism(e.g., a belt, a waist clip, a button fastener, etc.) to permitadjustment of the waist size.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the waist portion 30 can include a firstfastener, shown as waist fastener 90, and a second fastener, shown ascrotch fastener 92. The waist fastener 90 may be configured toselectively adjust (e.g., tighten, loosen, etc.) the size of the waistline of the garment 10 (e.g., a belt, a tying device, a ratchetingfastener, etc.). The waist fastener 90 may be positioned and/or angledso as to avoid crossing the bend in the groin or leg when the leg bendsrelative to the groin, for example, when the wearer is bending,crouching, or sitting. In some cases, the waist fastener 90 maygenerally be angled to run, not cross or to run substantially parallel(e.g., at less than a 30 degree angle) to the line formed by the bend,crouch, or sitting. The same may be true for the line of the waist wherethe waist bends between the abdomen and the region below the waist. Thecrotch fastener 92 may be configured to selectively separate the twosides of the first front waist stretch panel 52 (e.g., such as a zipper,buttons, etc.).

As shown in FIGS. 1-2, the first front waist stretch panel 52 and thelower back stretch panel 60 may define a plurality of apertures, shownas air flow apertures 68. According to an exemplary embodiment, the airflow apertures 68 facilitate air to flow into and out of the garment 10(e.g., to allow the garment 10 to “breath,” etc.). It should beunderstood that the air flow apertures 68 may be positioned anywhere onthe garment 10, particularly anywhere where the stretch fabric panel(s)50 may be located. The material in any such location may utilize a meshmaterial, if desired. According to the exemplary embodiment shown inFIG. 1, the air flow apertures 68 are positioned so as to correspond inlocation with the crotch region of a wearer of the garment 10. In otherembodiments, the air flow apertures 80 are otherwise positioned aboutthe first front waist stretch panel 52. According to the exemplaryembodiment shown in FIG. 2, the air flow apertures 68 are positioned soas to correspond in location with the buttocks region of a wearer of thegarment 10. In other embodiments, the air flow apertures 68 areotherwise positioned about the lower back stretch panel 60. In analternative embodiment, the air flow apertures 68 are not included in ordefined by at least one of the first front waist stretch panel 52 andthe lower back stretch panel 60.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the first front waist stretchpanel 52, the second front waist stretch panel 54, the crotch stretchpanel 58, and the lower back stretch panel 60 are manufactured from astretch fabric material, while the side waist stretch panels 56 aremanufactured from a stretch mesh fabric material. In other embodiments,the crotch stretch panel 58 is manufactured from a stretch mesh fabricmaterial. In another embodiment, the second front waist stretch panel 54is manufactured from a rigid fabric material. In still anotherembodiment, a portion of the lower back stretch panel 60 is manufacturedfrom a rigid fabric material. It should be understood that the stretchmesh material may be positioned anywhere on the garment 10, includinganywhere depicted in the various figures where a stretch fabric panel 50is shown (regardless of whether the air flow apertures 68 are depicted).Also, it is contemplated that in some embodiments the air flow apertures68 and/or the stretch mesh material can be specifically excluded fromone or more regions of the garment 10 (specifically any one or more ofthe numbered region of the drawings). For example, in some embodiments,either may be excluded from the waist, the lower back, the groin, thepelvis, the crotch, the buttocks, the gluteus, the thigh or quadriceps,the hip(s), any portion or the length of the IT band, the calf, theshin, the front or back of the knee, the hamstring, etc.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the stretch fabric panels 50 of the upper legportion 32 include a pair of sixth stretch panels, shown as front upperleg stretch panels 62, and a pair of seventh stretch panels, shown asrear upper leg stretch panels 64. According to an exemplary embodiment,the front upper leg stretch panels 62 are manufactured from a stretchfabric material, while the rear upper leg stretch panels 64 aremanufactured from a stretch mesh fabric material. In other embodiments,the front upper leg stretch panels 62 are manufactured from a stretchmesh fabric material. In some embodiments, the rear upper leg stretchpanels are manufactured from a stretch fabric material. As shown inFIGS. 1-4, the stretch fabric panels 50 of the lower leg portion 34include a pair of eighth stretch panels, shown as lower leg stretchpanels 66. According to an exemplary embodiment, the lower leg stretchpanels 66 are manufactured from a stretch mesh fabric material. In otherembodiments, the lower leg stretch panels 66 are manufactured from astretch fabric material. Alternatively, any of the locations describedcan be excluded from having either of the stretch or stretch meshmaterial in some embodiments.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the stretch fabric panels 50 of the waist portion30 (e.g., the lower back stretch panel 60, etc.) and the upper legportion 32 (e.g., the front upper leg stretch panels 62, the rear upperleg stretch panels 64, etc.) are positioned between the front upper legrigid panels 72 and the rear upper leg rigid panels 78, effectively(e.g., substantially, completely, etc.) isolating the front upper legrigid panels 72 and the rear upper leg rigid panels 78 from each other.Thus, the stretch fabric panels 50 of the waist portion 30 and the upperleg portion 32 are configured to facilitate independent movement of thefront upper leg rigid panels 72 relative to the rear upper leg rigidpanels 78, as well as independent movement of each of the front upperleg rigid panels 72 relative to one another.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the stretch fabric panels 50 of the upper legportion 32 (e.g., the front upper leg stretch panels 62, the rear upperleg stretch panels 64, etc.) and the lower leg portion 34 (e.g., thelower leg stretch panels 66, etc.) are positioned between the rigidpanels 70 of the upper leg portion 32 (e.g., the front upper leg rigidpanels 72, the rear upper leg rigid panels 78, etc.) and the lower legportion 34 (e.g., the lower leg rigid panels 74, the lower interior legrigid panels 76, etc.), effectively (e.g., substantially, completely,etc.) isolating the rigid panels 70 of the upper leg portion 32 and thelower leg portion 34 from each other. Thus, the stretch fabric panels 50of the upper leg portion 32 and the lower leg portion 34 are configuredto facilitate independent movement of rigid panels 70 of the upper legportion 32 (e.g., the front upper leg rigid panels 72, the rear upperleg rigid panels 78, etc.) relative to the rigid panels 70 of the lowerleg portion 34 (e.g., the lower leg rigid panels 74, the lower interiorleg rigid panels 76, etc.).

According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-6, a multi-panelgarment, shown as garment 110, includes a plurality of fabric panelsthat are at least one of arranged, molded, sewn, shaped, formed, cut,and tailored to form a pant. The garment 100 of FIGS. 5-6 may besubstantially similar to the garment 10 of FIGS. 1-4 in construction andfunction. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the second front waiststretch panel 54 of the waist portion 30 may be replaced with a firstwaist rigid panel, shown front waist rigid panel 184. As anotherexample, as shown in FIG. 6, the rear side 18 of the garment 110 mayinclude an additional rear waist panel, shown as rear waist flap 186. Asshown in FIG. 6, the rear waist flap 186 is selectively positioned aboutthe garment 110 so as to correspond in location to a lower back regionof the wearer, above the buttocks region. According to an exemplaryembodiment, the rear waist flap 186 is disposed over the lower backstretch panel 60 such that a cavity may be formed therebetween (e.g.,only the top edge and sides of the rear waist flap 186 are coupled tothe garment 110, the bottom edge of the rear waist flap 186 is notcoupled to the garment 110, etc.). As shown in FIG. 6, the rear waistflap 186 includes a first portion, shown as stretch fabric portion 188,a second portion, shown as rigid portion 190, and a third portion, shownas mesh portions 192. The rigid portion 190 may be configured to definethe shape of the rear waist flap 186 and/or provide support for thestretch portion 188 and/or the mesh portions 192. According to anexemplary embodiment, the rigid portion 190 is manufactured from anabrasion and/or penetration resistant material (e.g., ballistic nylon,900D fabric, Kevlar, a heavy duty poly-fabric, leather, rubber, plastic,etc.). The abrasion and/or penetration resistant material of the rearwaist flap 186 may be configured to reduce abrasion and/or impact forcesexperienced by the wearer's lower back and/or upper buttocks region fromdebris and/or falling to the ground (e.g., falling off of a dirt bike,etc.).

According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 7-9, a multi-panelgarment, shown as garment 200, includes a plurality of fabric panelsthat are at least one of arranged, molded, sewn, shaped, formed, cut,and tailored to form a long-sleeve shirt. According to an exemplaryembodiment, the garment 200 is a motocross raceshirt. In otherembodiments, the garment 200 is a snowmobile shirt, an ATV shirt, oranother type of shirt used for action sports. In an alternativeembodiment, the plurality of fabric panels of the garment 200 are atleast one of arranged, molded, sewn, shaped, formed, cut, and tailoredto form another type of shirt such as a short-sleeve shirts, asleeve-less shirt, a tank-top, a jacket, a hoodie, a sweater, or stillanother article of clothing. The size of the garment 200 may be variedto fit various wearers. For example, the plurality of fabric panels ofthe garment 200 may be at least one of arranged, molded, sewn, shaped,formed, cut, and tailored to fit men, women, both men and women, orchildren. According to an exemplary embodiment, the plurality of fabricpanels of the garment 200 are manufactured from at least two differentfabric materials (e.g., stretch fabric material, stretch mesh fabricmaterial, rigid fabric material, etc.).

As shown in FIGS. 7-9, the garment 200 includes a first portion, shownas torso portion 210, and a second portion, shown as sleeve portions220. The torso portion 210 is positioned and formed so as to correspondwith a torso, waist, neck, and/or shoulders of a wearer of the garment200. The sleeve portions 220 are positioned and formed so as tocorrespond with at least a portion of a length of each arm of a wearerof the garment 200. According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS.7-9, the sleeve portions 220 include long-sleeves. In other embodiments,the sleeve portions 220 include short-sleeves. In an alternativeembodiment, the garment 200 does not include the sleeve portions 220.According to an exemplary embodiment, the torso portion 210 and thesleeve portions 220 are formed to receive a specific sized person (e.g.,an extra-small, a small, a medium, a large, or an extra-large person,etc.). As shown in FIGS. 7-9, the torso portion 210 and the sleeveportions 220 define a first side, shown as front side 202, and anopposing second side, shown as rear side 204.

As shown in FIGS. 7-9, the garment 200 includes a first plurality ofpanels, shown as stretch fabric panels 230, and a second plurality ofpanels, shown as rigid panels 250. According to an exemplary embodiment,the stretch fabric panels 230 are manufactured from a first fabricmaterial, and the rigid panels 250 are manufactured from a seconddifferent material. According to an exemplary embodiment, the stretchfabric panels 230 are selectively positioned about the garment 200(e.g., between the rigid panels 250, etc.) to facilitate independentmovement of each of the rigid panels 250 relative to one another (e.g.,each of the rigid panels 250 moves independently, etc.). According to anexemplary embodiment, the interaction between the stretch fabric panels230 and the rigid panels 250 facilitates natural movement of a wearer'sbody such that as a wearer moves, the front side 202 and the rear side204 do not sheer away from each other (e.g., preventing discomfort andrestriction in movement, etc.). In one embodiment, at least one of thestretch fabric panels 230 is manufactured from a first stretch fabricmaterial and at least one of the stretch fabric panels 230 ismanufactured from a second different stretch fabric material. Forexample, at least one of the stretch fabric panels 230 may bemanufactured from a stretch fabric material and at least one of thestretch fabric panels 230 may be manufactured from a stretch mesh fabricmaterial and/or a mesh fabric material. The stretch mesh fabric materialand/or the mesh fabric material may be used in areas of the garment 200to facilitate air to flow into and out of the garment 200 (e.g., toprovide a cooling effect to the wearer of the garment 200, etc.).According to an exemplary embodiment, the stretch fabric material ismore durable (e.g., tougher, stronger, heavier, etc.) than the stretchmesh fabric material. In other embodiments, the stretch fabric panels230 are manufactured from a single stretch fabric material.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the rigid panels 250 aremanufactured to be durable, protective (e.g., abrasion resistant, etc.),and/or structure giving. In some embodiments, the rigid panels 250 aremanufacture to be non-stretch. The panels of the rigid panels 250 mayinclude at least one of a stretch resistant material, an abrasionresistant material, a penetration resistant material, and a heatresistant material. According to an exemplary embodiment, theindependent movement of the rigid panels 250 allows the rigid panels 250to work independent of each other, thereby providing a greater degree ofcomfort and less restriction (e.g., while walking, sitting, riding,etc.) without sacrificing the intended function of the garment 200.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the stretch fabric panels 230 andthe rigid panels 250 are coplanarly and contiguously attached (e.g.,arranged, molded, sewn, shaped, formed, cut, tailored, joined, etc.) tocooperatively form a single, continuous layer of the garment 200. By wayof example, each individual panel may define a plane including the edgesof the panel. Each edge of the panels is positioned adjacent other edgesof proximate panels and attached thereto such that the planes of theattached panels are coplanar (e.g., no portion of one panel ispositioned on top of or stacked atop another panel, etc.). According toan exemplary embodiment, all of or a portion of the single, continuouslayer of the garment 200 is loose fitting (e.g., non-compressive, notskin tight, etc.). According to an exemplary embodiment, the rigidpanels 250 and/or the stretch fabric panels 230 do not include or defineopenings or pockets configured to receive additional padding material orinclude additional padding sewn thereto or therein.

In one embodiment, the garment 200 includes about 60%-70% rigidmaterial. In another embodiment, the garment 200 includes greater than70% rigid material. In an alternative embodiment, the majority of thematerial of the garment 200 is stretch fabric material, mesh fabricmaterial, and/or stretch mesh fabric material (e.g., less than 50% rigidfabric material, etc.). In another alternative embodiment, the relativeproportion of rigid material to stretch fabric material, mesh fabricmaterial, and/or stretch mesh fabric material is substantially equal(e.g., about 50% rigid fabric material, etc.). In one embodiment, thenon-rigid portion of the garment 200 (e.g., the proportion of stretchfabric material relative to stretch mesh fabric material, etc.) is about50% stretch fabric material and about 50% stretch mesh fabric material.In other embodiments, the non-rigid portion of the garment 200 is mostlystretch mesh fabric material (e.g., 50% or more stretch mesh fabricmaterial, etc.). In still other embodiments, the non-rigid portion ofthe garment 200 is mostly stretch fabric material (e.g., 50% or morestretch fabric material, etc.). In yet other embodiments, the non-rigidportion of the garment 200 is mostly mesh fabric material (e.g., 50% ormore mesh fabric material, etc.).

As shown in FIGS. 7-9, the rigid panels 250 of the torso portion 210 ofthe garment 200 include first rigid panel, shown as front torso rigidpanel 252, and a second rigid panel, shown as rear torso rigid panel254. The front torso rigid panel 252 and the rear torso rigid panel 254are selectively joined so as to correspond in location to at least oneof a torso, a waist, a neck, and shoulders of a wearer of the garment200. According to an exemplary embodiment, the front torso rigid panel252 and the rear torso rigid panel 254 are manufactured from anon-stretch material. In some embodiments, at least a portion of thefront torso rigid panel 252 and/or the rear torso rigid panel 254 aremanufactured from an abrasion resistant material, a penetrationresistant material, and/or a heat resistant material. Regardless of theregion, the rigid panels 250 may cover, for example, anywhere from 50%to 100% of the region, including any sub value or sub range therein(e.g., 55%, 60%, 65%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or any sub range bound bythe same, etc.).

As shown in FIGS. 7-9, the rigid panels 250 of the sleeve portions 220of the garment 200 include first rigid panels, shown as upper arm rigidpanels 256, and second rigid panels, shown as lower arm rigid panels258. The upper arm rigid panels 256 are selectively positioned so as tocorrespond in location to an upper arm region of a wearer of the garment200. The lower arm rigid panels 258 are selectively positioned so as tocorrespond in location to a lower arm region of a wearer of the garment200. According to an exemplary embodiment, the upper arm rigid panels256 and the lower arm rigid panels 258 are manufactured from anon-stretch material. In some embodiments, at least a portion of theupper arm rigid panels 256 and/or the lower arm rigid panels 258 aremanufactured from an abrasion resistant material, a penetrationresistant material, and/or a heat resistant material. Regardless of theregion, the rigid panels 250 may cover, for example, anywhere from 50%to 100% of the region, including any sub value or sub range therein(e.g., 55%, 60%, 65%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or any sub range bound bythe same, etc.).

As shown in FIGS. 7-9, the stretch fabric panels 230 of the torsoportion 210 include a first stretch panels, shown as side torso stretchpanels 232, and a second stretch panel, shown as lower back stretchpanel 234. As shown in FIGS. 7-9, the stretch fabric panels 230 of thesleeve portions 220 include third stretch panels, shown as shoulderstretch panels 236, and fourth stretch panels, shown as elbow stretchpanels 238. According to an exemplary embodiment, the side torso stretchpanels 232, the lower back stretch panel 234, the shoulder stretchpanels 236, and the elbow stretch panels 238 are manufactured from astretch fabric material. In other embodiments, at least one of the sidetorso stretch panels 232, the lower back stretch panel 234, the shoulderstretch panels 236, and the elbow stretch panels 238 are manufacturedfrom a stretch mesh fabric material or a mesh fabric material.Alternatively, any of the locations described may be excluded fromhaving either stretch, mesh, or stretch mesh material in someembodiments.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the side torso stretch panels 232and the shoulder stretch panels 236 are configured to decreaserestriction in movement of a wearer's arm (e.g., when lifting arms up,forward, or backwards, etc.). The side torso stretch panels 232 may alsobe configured to decrease restriction when a wearer turns his/her torsowhile wearing the garment 200. According to an exemplary embodiment, thelower back stretch panel 234 is configured to decrease restriction inmovement when a wearer of garment 200 bends over and/or lifts his/herarms up. According to an exemplary embodiment, the elbow stretch panels238 are configured to decrease restriction in the movement of a wearer'sarms during a bending motion (e.g., about the elbows, etc.). Theplacement and/or number of the stretch fabric panels 50, 230 and/or therigid fabric panels 70, 250 is for illustrative purposes and should notbe limiting. The panels may be positioned in different locations and/orhave other materials than described.

The rigid panels 70 and/or the rigid panels 250 may have a variety ofdifferent shapes and thicknesses. For example, one embodiment includesthe rigid panels 70 and/or the rigid panels 250 shaped to resemblesports equipment, such as football pads. Another embodiment includes therigid panels 70 and/or the rigid panels 250 shaped to resemble largehuman muscles characteristic of a cartoon superhero or a bodybuilder.Another embodiment includes the rigid panels 70 and/or the rigid panels250 shaped with curved edges instead of straight polygonal edges. Yetstill another embodiment includes the rigid panels 70 and/or the rigidpanels 250 configured to display indicia or logos. Further still anotherembodiment includes the rigid panels 70 and/or the rigid panels 250configured with a similar design or “look and feel” as a particularbrand of motorcycle. The rigid panels 70 and/or the rigid panels 250 maybe configured with surface designs or shapes that may or may not havefunctional purpose. For instance, the rigid panels 70 and/or the rigidpanels 250 may benefit from added strength by the inclusion ofselectively located sections of thicker material or different materialintegrated with the rigid panels 70 and/or the rigid panels 250. Thesesections may also provide ornamentation to the rigid panels 70 and/orthe rigid panels 250.

Different rigid panels 70 and/or the rigid panels 250 may be providedwith different thicknesses, depending on the location of the panel. Forexample, the front upper leg rigid panels 72 may be thicker or made froma different material than the lower leg rigid panels 74. Similarly, thefront panels may be of a different thickness or material than the rearpanels. The front upper leg rigid panels 72 may not be as thick as therear upper leg rigid panels 78. A variety of different combinations ofthicknesses and materials may be used. In at least one embodiment, therigid panels 70 and/or the rigid panels 250 are configured to be modularsuch that additional sections may be added to the rigid panels 70 and/orthe rigid panels 250 or removed therefrom to change the thickness and/orshape of the panels. As such, for example, the garment 10, the garment110, or the garment 200 may be modified to serve different functionswhere one thickness of panels can be used for a motorcycle rider and adifferent thickness of panels can be used for a skateboard rider. Askateboard rider may find it preferable to have a thicker section forthe rear upper leg rigid panels 78 but thinner section for the lower legrigid panels 74.

It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of theelements of the systems, methods, and apparatuses as shown in theexemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a fewembodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail,those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readilyappreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations insizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the variouselements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials,colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novelteachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example,elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple partsor elements. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies ofthe enclosure may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materialsthat provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide varietyof colors, textures, and combinations.

Embodiments have been described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings. However, it should be understood that the figures are notdrawn to scale. Distances, angles, shapes, etc. are merely illustrativeand do not necessarily bear an exact relationship to actual dimensionsand layout of the articles that are illustrated. In addition, theforegoing embodiments have been described at a level of detail to allowone of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the articles, parts,different materials, etc. described herein. A wide variety of variationis possible. Articles, materials, elements, and/or steps can be altered,added, removed, or rearranged. While certain embodiments have beenexplicitly described, other embodiments will become apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art based on this disclosure.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,”“might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically statedotherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, isgenerally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, whileother embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/orstates. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended toimply that features, elements and/or configurations are in any wayrequired for one or more embodiments. The terms “comprising,”“including,” “having,” and the like are synonymous and are usedinclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additionalelements, features, acts, operations, and so forth. The term “consistingessentially of” can be used anywhere where the terms comprising,including, containing or having are used herein, but consistentessentially of is intended to mean that the claim scope covers or islimited to the specified materials or steps recited and those that donot materially affect the basic and novel characteristic(s) of theclaimed invention. Also, the term “consisting of” can be used anywherewhere the terms comprising, including, containing or having are usedherein, but consistent of excludes any element, step, or ingredient notspecified in a given claim where it is used.

Also, the term “or” is used in its inclusive sense (and not in itsexclusive sense) so that when used, for example, to connect a list ofelements, the term “or” means one, some, or all of the elements in thelist. Conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, andZ,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood withthe context as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may beeither X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generallyintended to imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, atleast one of Y, and at least one of Z to each be present.

Additionally, in the subject description, the word “exemplary” is usedto mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any embodimentor design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to beconstrued as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments ordesigns. Rather, use of the word exemplary is intended to presentconcepts in a concrete manner. Accordingly, all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of the present inventions.Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be madein the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the preferredand other exemplary embodiments without departing from scope of thepresent disclosure or from the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment, comprising: a first plurality of panels including a rigid material; and a second plurality of panels including a stretch fabric material; wherein the first plurality of panels are selectively positioned so as to correspond in location to desired anatomical regions of a wearer of the garment; and wherein the second plurality of panels are selectively positioned to facilitate independent movement of each of the first plurality of panels relative to one another.
 2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of panels includes an upper leg panel positioned to correspond with at least one of an upper anterior leg region and an upper exterior leg region of the wearer of the garment.
 3. The garment of claim 2, wherein the rigid material of the upper leg panel comprises an abrasion resistant material.
 4. The garment of claim 2, wherein the upper leg panel includes a knee element positioned to correspond with a knee region of the wearer of the garment, the knee element including at least one of a knee pad and a knee vent.
 5. The garment of claim 2, wherein the first plurality of panels includes a second upper leg panel positioned to correspond with at least one of an upper posterior leg region, an upper interior leg region, and a lower buttocks region of the wearer of the garment.
 6. The garment of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of panels includes a lower leg panel positioned to correspond with at least one of a lower anterior leg region, a lower interior leg region, and a lower exterior leg region of the wearer of the garment.
 7. The garment of claim 6, wherein the rigid material of the lower leg panel comprises an abrasion resistant material.
 8. The garment of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the rigid material of the lower leg panel comprises a heat resistant material, wherein the heat resistant material is positioned to correspond with the lower interior leg region of the wearer.
 9. The garment of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of panels includes at least one heat resistant panel and at least one abrasion resistant panel.
 10. The garment of claim 1, wherein the stretch fabric material of at least one of the second plurality of panels comprises a mesh structure that facilitates air flow into and out of the garment.
 11. The garment of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of panels and the second plurality of panels are coplanarly and contiguously attached to cooperatively form a continuous layer of the garment.
 12. The garment of claim 11, further comprising a liner layer disposed within the garment along the continuous layer to cover seams formed between the first plurality of panels and the second plurality of panels.
 13. The garment of claim 12, wherein the liner layer comprises at least one of the stretch fabric material, a mesh fabric material, and a stretch mesh fabric material.
 14. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is comprised of about 60%-70% of the rigid material.
 15. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment includes at least one of pants, shorts, a shirt, and a jacket.
 16. A garment, comprising: a waist portion positioned to correspond with a waist and crotch region of a wearer, the waist portion including at least one stretch fabric panel; an upper leg portion positioned to correspond with a thigh and knee region of the wearer, the upper leg portion including at least one stretch fabric panel and at least one rigid panel; and a lower leg portion positioned to correspond with a shin and calf region of the wearer, the lower leg portion including at least one stretch fabric panel and at least one rigid panel; wherein the at least one stretch fabric panel of the upper leg portion and the at least one stretch fabric panel of the lower leg portion are configured to facilitate independent movement of the at least one rigid panel of the upper leg portion relative to the at least one rigid panel of the lower leg portion.
 17. The garment of claim 16, wherein the at least one rigid panel of the upper leg portion includes a first rigid panel positioned to correspond with at least a front area of the thigh and knee region and a second rigid panel positioned to correspond with at least a rear area of the thigh and knee region, wherein the at least one stretch fabric panel of the upper leg portion is positioned between the first rigid panel and the second rigid panel of the upper leg portion, and wherein the at least one stretch fabric panel of the upper leg portion is configured to facilitate independent movement of the first rigid panel relative to the second rigid panel.
 18. The garment of claim 16, wherein the at least one rigid panel of the upper leg portion comprises an abrasion resistant material, and wherein the at least one rigid panel of the lower leg portion comprises at least one of an abrasion resistant material and a heat resistant material.
 19. The garment of claim 16, wherein the stretch fabric panels and the rigid panels of the waist portion, the upper leg portion, and the lower leg portion are coplanarly and contiguously attached to cooperatively form a continuous layer of the garment.
 20. A garment, comprising: a first plurality of panels comprising a rigid material; a second plurality of panels comprising a stretch fabric material; and a third plurality of panels comprising a stretch mesh fabric material; wherein the first plurality of panels are selectively positioned to provide at least one of abrasion resistance and heat resistance to desired anatomical areas of a wearer of the garment; wherein the second plurality of panels and the third plurality of panels are selectively positioned to facilitate independent movement of each of the first plurality of panels; and wherein the third plurality of panels are configured to facilitate air flow into and out of the garment. 